Rumblings from senior FF backbenchers in addition to Opposition pressure has prompted the Government to revisit the committee stage of the Criminal Justice Bill next week, The Irish Timeshas learned.
When the committee stage concluded in the Dáil on Thursday with only 37 of the 156 amendments debated, behind the scenes contact - between the Government Chief Whip Tom Kitt, Minister for Justice Michael McDowell, and the Opposition - resulted in agreement to re-open the committee debate next Wednesday.
It is understood that FF TDs expressed their concern to Mr Kitt that insufficient time was being allocated to debate the legislation. The Bill, if enacted, will allow a jury to determine why a suspect stayed silent under Garda interrogation. Moreover, it enables gardaí to hold suspects for seven days in connection with specific scheduled offences.
Last night Chairman of the Dáil Committee on Justice, FF TD Seán Ardagh, welcome the move and said he regretted there hadn't been enough time to consider the Bill thoroughly.
"I would certainly prefer if it had more time for discussion," he said.
After the committee stage concluded at 4pm on Thursday Mr Kitt spoke with Mr McDowell who agreed to recommit the Bill to committee stage. Mr Kitt then consulted the Opposition Justice spokesmen, FG's Jim O'Keeffe, Labour's Brendan Howlin and Paul Gogarty of the Greens.
Last night Mr McDowell said he had no problem allocating extra time providing it is used wisely to discuss amendments.
Referring to Opposition concerns on amending the right to silence and the Human Rights Commission, he said that has existed in law in England for 13 years and in Northern Ireland for 20 years and worked well.
The Minister also said he is happy to revisit some of the crimes which fall under the seven-day detention provision in the Bill.
The Human Rights Commission has claimed that the proposed legislation could breach the European Convention on Human Rights and presented a danger of injustice.
It argues that the Minister's attempt to impose more mandatory sentencing rules on the judiciary threatened the separation of powers.
The commission said, "as with previous legislation in the criminal justice area", it had not had enough time "to consider matters of significant importance to the protection of human rights".
Up to seven hours will be made available for the Bill's passage on Wednesday and it will complete the report stage on Thursday. The debate then moves to the Seanad before returning to the Dáil in April or May.